12 July 2024
Francesca Brazzorotto, Customer Engagement Manager at Karger Publishers
Summer is here, and I’m looking forward to going on holiday. Of the few certainties in life, one thing I am quite sure of is that my beach bag will contain sunscreen and a Jane Austen novel. Or at least that’s what I thought until I flicked open Instagram.
In today’s digital age, even something as simple as protecting your skin from the sun can become a source of anxiety and confusion. The internet, an indispensable part of our lives, is a powerful tool that connects us to a wealth of information, and as a millennial who grew up using the internet, I am savvy and well-versed in navigating its resources, yet it also terrifies me. Every time I open a social media outlet, I’m bombarded with terrible news—from natural disasters to the myriad ways everything and everyone is supposedly out to kill us. It’s a constant flood of either cat videos (which I love) or overwhelming negativity.
My recent experience on Instagram captured this fear perfectly: a well-known tabloid boldly claimed that influencers were spreading misinformation about sunscreen causing cancer. As a result, some people had stopped using these products.
My initial reaction was one of anger and disbelief. “These idiots are putting people’s lives at risk with their reckless claims,” I thought. But then I started reading the comments: regular people were either confirming my thoughts or negating them completely. Statements like “I have breast cancer, and my doctor told me to stop using sunscreens” made me stop and think. Do I know enough about this topic to dismiss it outright? This moment of self-doubt set me on a journey of discovery, shaped by my background in academic publishing and my training as a librarian and archivist. I know you feel me.
With a strong inclination towards research and verifying sources, I began my quest for the truth. I Googled “correlation between malignant tumors and sunscreens,” and was soon buried in a trove of articles, both supporting and refuting the claim. Many paywalled articles had inconclusive or unclear abstracts, while open access articles provided no real answers and were filled with complex jargon like “Egger’s regression asymmetry test” and “stratified meta-analysis and meta-regression”. Strings of letters incomprehensible to my poor Jane Austen-influenced mind.
Undeterred, I scrutinized the sources of these articles. Were they from reputable journals or dubious blogs? What were the publication dates? I discounted older studies, hoping that more recent research would provide clearer answers. As the minutes ticked by, my initial certainty wavered. What if there was some truth to these influencers’ claims? The more I read, the more my perspective shifted. I discovered that certain ingredients in sunscreens could potentially act as hormone blockers and might, in some circumstances, contribute to cancer development. This realization left me in a quandary.
Finally, to my immense relief, and to that of my dog impatiently waiting for her evening walk, I stumbled upon a Q&A from Harvard Medical School titled “The Science of Sunscreen.” In clear, straightforward language, it addressed exactly my concerns. Yes, some ingredients in sunscreen aren’t ideal, but it also noted that “it would take an individual 277 years of sunscreen use to achieve the equivalent systemic dose that produced effects in the initial rat studies.” This piece of information was a game-changer. It provided the clarity I needed, but at what cost? It had taken me over an hour of relentless scrolling and article-hopping (and dog whining) to arrive at what I thought was a well-informed conclusion.
This whole experience left me deeply concerned. Not everyone has the time, skills, or inclination to sift through mountains of information to separate fact from fiction. This is a significant problem in our digital age. Misinformation spreads like wildfire, fueled by sensational headlines and clickbait. It preys on our fears and uncertainties, leaving us more confused than ever.
Who bears the responsibility for this lack of clear, reliable information? Ideally, it should be a collective effort involving various stakeholders—scientists, educators, journalists, publishers, and technology companies. However, the burden often falls on the individual, and that’s neither fair nor practical. Most people don’t have the expertise to navigate this complex landscape, nor should they be expected to.
I’m a big fan of technology; its purpose should be to make our lives easier, so I believe artificial intelligence has a crucial role to play in addressing this issue. AI has the potential to sift through vast amounts of data quickly, highlighting reputable sources and flagging dubious ones. It can help distill complex scientific information into digestible, understandable content for the average person. This is not to say that AI is a panacea, but it could significantly reduce the spread of misinformation and make it easier for people to access reliable information.
Moreover, and until that is the case, there should be a concerted effort to prioritize scientific truth over sensationalism. Media outlets need to be held accountable for spreading false information, and there should be stricter regulations regarding the dissemination of health-related claims. Educational institutions and libraries should emphasize critical thinking and digital literacy, equipping individuals, young and old, with the skills to evaluate the information they encounter.
My experience with the sunscreen debate is a microcosm of a larger problem. The internet, with all its benefits, also harbours a dark side rife with misinformation, which is both terrifying and exhausting. The responsibility for navigating this treacherous landscape shouldn’t rest solely on individuals. Instead, we need a collective effort to ensure that clear, sound scientific information is readily available and easily understandable. Only then can we hope to combat the pervasive spread of misinformation that plagues our digital age.
Let’s ensure that our days under the sun are filled with relaxation and good reads, like a timeless Jane Austen novel, rather than confusion and worry. Enjoy the sunshine, stay informed, and keep a good book close at hand!